Gates is coming down the circular
stairs of his apartment calling for Sarah to get a move on. She asks if it’s
okay to have a sleepover that night. Since she is back in Chicago she and her
‘BFF’s have some catching up to do. Gates is reluctant and there is some cute
exchange about bedtimes…and pizza toppings. One friend is vegan, one has a soy
allergy and one is lactose intolerant. As they are going out the door, Tony asks
what is left to eat..air?
Cut to a shot of the Kovac medicine cabinet. Abby replaces a
bottle of eye drops and takes the bottle of advil out. The door is shut and we
see her swallowing the advil and then studying her reflection in the mirror. Cut
to the living room where Niko is playing with Joe on the floor in the
background. Luka is looking over the paper with a cup of coffee in his hand.
Abby comes down the steps and Luka crosses the room and asks what time she came
to bed last night. He kisses the top of her head as she goes on about writing up
a patient for Grand Rounds into the wee hours. She says that it’s the only time
there is quiet around there. Niko apologizes for keeping Luka up too late
talking. He hands the baby to Luka as Abby tells him it’s okay. She is glad they
can have this time together. She says she has to go and kisses Joe. Luka has a
confused look on his face and then tells her he is coming by the hospital
because Frank has been holding his mail and he needs to talk to Anspaugh about
his schedule. She tells him to find her and moves hurriedly toward the door.
Niko interrupts to tell her they should all go out sometime so they can talk
more. That way he can tell people in Croatia what she is like. She says they
will when she can get a break in her schedule. He goes on to say that he doesn’t
know her very well yet but that someone who has been able to make his brother
this happy is…he says something to Luka in Croatian and Luka translates for him.
Niko turns back to her and says ‘extraordinary person.” She is embarrassed and
smiles as she says bye and leaves. (Way cute background action with Luka dealing
with a baby in his arms who definitely wants down.)
Cut to ER corridor as Skye and Dubenko are walking together.
She thanks him for the Thai food recommendation and he says any time she wants
to talk about this sinking ship over a bowl of sticky rice to call him. They
pass the desk area as Pratt is riding Gates about a late CT, Morris comes
through grousing at Frank who turns on Dawn about something, Chuny is reaming
Sam out for accepting a med patient, Frank barks that ultrasound is on the phone
and wants someone to pick up the ovarian cyst lady. Abby wanders past and looks
up at the board as Chuny calls out that there is a 3 min ETA on three patients,
one with a vascular injury. Anspaugh approaches and Frank calls for everyone’s
attention. There is a camera sweep of the gathered staff as Anspaugh announces
that Moretti will not be returning to the ER. He had planned for his absence to
be temporary but the circumstances have changed and he does not know when or if
he can return. Morris mutters ‘here we go again’ and Anspaugh continues that a
search committee will convene to look for a replacement. Skye speaks up from the
back of the group and tells him – with all due respect – the ER needs a chief
now. There are communication problems with the staff and other departments,
waiting room times are up and they need a chief now. Pratt agrees and Anspaugh
then names an acting ER chief - Dr. Wexler. He walks away as there is a stunned
reaction. They turn to look at Skye and then walk away leaving the camera to
zoom in on her very stunned face.
Cut to Abby draining a cup of coffee as she waits in the
ambulance bay. Morris and Grady come through the doors and Morris is belittling
Skye’s stunned surfer girl act. He thinks she has been gunning for the chief
position all along. Grady comments that she has only been there like a month as
they head for the ambulance. What could she possibly know what they need there?
A gurney is pulled out with a very bloody older man. The paramedic says it was a
cannery accident, guy got his sleeve caught on a belt and his arm pulled through
a cutter. Morris calls out for some tests as Abby asks the guy what his name is.
He is kind of out of it due to morphine. Morris is going on about Skye and Abby
tells him to let it go. Morris says that she totally wanted the job.
Flash cut to Skye as she is telling Anspaugh that she does
not want the job. Dubenko is nearby and offers his congratulations. She goes on
that she has no intention of staying there…that she fully intends to be surfing
in Uluwatu by Christmas. She is not an administrator type….budget meetings,
politicking, ass kicking. Anspaugh tells her she is the most experienced ER doc
they have at the moment and he needs to step up. The bump in salary will give
her more for board wax, sun screen and shark repellant. She just wants to do her
shifts and get the hell out of Dodge. He tells her it’s either Dodge…or nothing.
Cut to surgery where Neela is operating under the guidance of
Dubenko with Harold standing near by. Neela is verbalizing the surgery as
Dubenko carries on a conversation with Harold regarding the Blues music genre.
Dubenko is called to the ER and steps out of the surgery. Neela is a little
panicky and asks if Dr. Crenshaw is available. Dubenko says no and he will pop
his head back in later. Harold moves to assist Neela and tells her that she is
the senior surgeon in the room. Neela is continues on in her first solo surgery.
Cut back to the ER and Skye is following Pratt telling him
she had no idea Anspaugh was going to do that. She tells a slightly bemused
Pratt that he has been there longer so if they work together they can get the
place back on track. She intends to pick his brain and Pratt tells her anytime
and place. He tells her that Abby and Morris are with the accident victim ad a
second victim is imminent. She turns to check on them and says a bright hello to
Frank. Frank leans over to tell Sam that he thinks Dr. Wexler will make a fine
chief and he has no problem taking orders from a woman. Sam tells him good and
tells him to call radiology…again. He scowls and tells her he liked her better
when she was a blonde. Doris wheels in a gurney with an older woman on it. She
says the patient was injured trying to free the first victim from the cannery
machine accident. Gates and Sam move forward to take her. Gates is asking about
medication and allergies and the woman asks if Mr. Murphy is okay. She says that
her English is not good. Gates says his Spanish is bad and gestures to Sam. She
says ‘high school French’…and then calls to Chuny down the hall. Chuny waves and
then leads Murphy’s wife and son to the exam room doors where he is being worked
on. Close up on a very bloody arm. Skye is observing Morris and Abby as they
examine the arm. Murphy is in pain and a little out of his head. Skye thinks
they might want to sedate and intubate but Morris says his airway is fine. He
tells Grady to set up for a femoral and tells Abby to supervise. Skye asks if
they really want an intern to do that on a critical patient. Morris is focused
but a little pissed at her comments. He tells her that they just need to control
the bleeding. Skye tells him they do…and soon. Dubenko enters and Morris says he
has just tied off the artery but there is lots of nonviable tissue. They are
going to need ortho and vascular if there is any hope of saving it. Sam pokes
her head in to tell Skye that the second cannery victim has arrived. Murphy’s
son is upset and asks if it’s the cleaning lady. Dubenko interrupts to tell Mrs.
Murphy they will need her permission for surgery and possible amputation. The
son is irate and Dubenko assures them they will do everything in their power to
avoid it. Murphy’s son spouts off about his father losing an arm and ‘that dumb
spic’ walks off without a scratch. Morris, Dawn and Dubenko are stunned and
Morris tells the kid to calm down. The kid tells them they aren’t getting
permission for anything. They want a second opinion.
Cut to Skye approaching the gurney with the older woman.
Gates, Sam and Chuny are cleaning the cuts on her forearms. Sam introduces Skye
and then Gates says that neurologically she is fine. One cut will need a two
layer closure but the others can be steri-stripped. Skye asks her what happened
and Delores tells them that she was cleaning and she heard some moaning. She saw
a man, Mr. Murphy in a machine. She turns to Chuny and reels off the rest of the
story in Spanish and Chuny translates. He begged her to help him and she said
she called for help but there was no one. She knows the yellow box and the light
is green. She pushed the red button and the machine stopped. She tried to free
his arm but it was stuck. That is how she got hurt. Sam tells her she was a very
brave woman and they should give her a raise. Chuny is translating as Delores’
son approaches. Dolores introduces him and says he is in college, the first
Salazar to go. He is in law school. Manny is embarrassed and tells her it is
pre-law. Gats asks Chuny to cover the sutured area with a loose dressing and
then walks away as Manny says something to his mother in Spanish. Gates and Sam
are headed toward the desk as his cell phone rings. He answers it and says the
extra blankets are in the hall closet. Then he says “No….because it’s R
rated….goodbye.” Sam asks how Sarah is and Gates says she is driving him crazy.
She is getting ready for a sleepover and it’s turning into the Normandy
invasion. Sam laughs and says she is a teenager and she is a girl. Gates retorts
that it’s nothing he can’t handle as he walks away. Morris is on the phone
asking someone to come down for a second opinion on Murphy. He hangs up and then
rushes Sam asking if she has to do a strength test before being certified for
transport? He has gotten her some fitness balls to work out with. He is
demonstrating and Sam ruefully tells him he couldn’t pay her to touch his balls.
(Yikes, 5th grade writers at work again…) Pratt approaches with one of Gates’
files and Tony tells him that for what it’s worth, he is bummed that they gave
the job to Skye. Pratt shakes his head and tells him that she is welcome to the
job. He says he is going for coffee and walks away. Morris studies him and then
follows him into he ambulance bay. He asks if he is okay. Morris tells him to
tell Anspaugh that he wants the job. Greg says he did…months ago. He says he
doesn’t know what else he has to do. He knows he is not as experienced as Skye…Moretti…
Kovac or Weaver….or even Clemente. He says he knows he would do a good job.
Morris is called back to the trauma room and as he is backing up tells Greg he
doesn’t know what else he can do. It’s not like he is going to quit in protest.
Cut to the trauma room where Abby and Morris are working on
Murphy, who is bleeding again. Skye comes in and says she thought they had it
under control. She asks if they pushed any more morphine and Dawn says Dr.
Moretti said not to without written orders. Skye tells her that Dr. Moretti
isn’t there so to push the morphine. Words are being tossed around that are
familiar from past episodes – DIC, controlled hypotension etc. The situation is
urgent and Murphy’s son looks through the glass at Dolores and starts yelling at
her…calling her a bitch and telling her to enjoy her free medical care and free
school for her ninos. Dubenko enters and takes control of the situation. Skye
says she was trying to tell them the problem. Dubenko tells Mrs. Murphy that her
husband needs the OR and have they made a decision. Dubenko asks if Anspaugh has
been down yet and Morris says that he called him. Dubenko tells Morris to get
Anspaugh down there NOW and then leaves. Morris is fuming and asks Dr. Wexler
for a minute. She looks around and then follows him out. He reams her out about
being critical instead of collaborating. He says he will make the decisions
about his patients….and ten wants to know about the buddy-buddy business with
surgery. He says that Murphy is their patient until he is handed over. Skye
grins and tells him to get a life as she walks away. Morris tells her he is not
done yet and follows her.
Gates is examining a laceration on a kid’s face from a kick
in karate class. He tells him he is going to need stitches but they will make
sure he doesn’t feel a thing. The dad follows Gates and apologizes because Tate
is sensitive. He thought karate was going to toughen him up but he is definitely
not his older brother. THAT is one tough kid.
Cut back to surgery where Harold, Neela and Shirley are
‘kicking butt’. Shirley asks Harold if he had any pictures of the Homecoming
dance. Neela asks how it went because he never said anything and he was worried
about the ‘expectations’. Harold says a gentleman never kisses and tells.
Cut back to Gates and Tate. The kid is refusing any pain meds
because he thinks he can ‘take it’. Gates says he took a kick in the face and
Tate says he cried like a baby. He doesn’t want anything. He wants to show his
dad that he can take it. He is insistent.
Cut to the admit desk as Luka rounds the end and hugs Pratt.
Greg says he just can’t stay away from that place. Frank tosses a plastic bag of
mail to him. Frank tells him he can run but can’t hide from the US Postal
Service. Luka thanks him for holding it and then Frank asks about his dad. Luka
tells him that he’s better and on 24 hour care with a cousin is looking in on
him. Sam pushes Dolores’ wheel chair toward the doors with Chuny and Manny near.
She tells her she will have to come back in a week to have the stitches removed.
Manny assures her that they will. Sam goes to get the worker’s comp paperwork
and Manny tells her that she’s not eligible for it. She is paid off the books.
Sam asks if she is undocumented. Murphy’s son comes up and says she is illegal.
He asks why she doesn’t go back to Mexico and Manny says she is from El Salvador
but to him they are all the same. Murphy Jr. goes on a rant about his dad ending
up a cripple and it’s all her fault. Sam steps in to say that she was helping
his dad…not hurting him. Dolores stands up and says something in Spanish and
Murphy Jr. goes on about working for what they get and not caring if they come
here but to wait their turn, not cross any borders. Manny tells him his mother
has been working there longer than Murphy Jr. has been alive…and that he was
born there himself. He is as American as Murphy Jr. The verbal argument
continues as Murphy Jr. tells Dolores he is going to have her ‘housekeeping
fruit picking spic and nic on the side of the road’….and Manny throws him to the
floor as Sam, Luka and Pratt pry him off Murphy Jr.
Cut to security restraining Murphy Jr. as Pratt walks by. He
says that Manny jumped him, he didn’t do anything. Sam grimaces and says
right…someone held a gun to his head and made him says those things. Murphy Jr.
says he was just upset because his dad is all messed up. Morris is sarcastic
when he asks the ‘Chief’ what she plans to do. Skye starts to say something and
then asks what he would do. Morris is surprised and then agrees that his dad is
messed up and thinks he should be escorted back to the trauma room and security
posted in the hall. Pratt says his racist ass should be kept in the waiting room
Sam agrees. Skye goes with Morris’ suggestion and Murphy Jr. is released to go
back to the trauma room. As he is walking away Morris tells Sam he left
something for her in her locker. He tells her it’s guaranteed to pump..her…up.
Luka rounds the end of the desk with his mail and is grinning. He asks Sam if
Morris is giving her a pump? Sam says not if she can help it. She asks if he is
playing tour guide for his brother. Luka says they have been to the Navy Pier
and to the Sears Tower but what he really wants to do is see a taping of Oprah.
Pratt interrupts to tell Kovac that he has perfect timing. Luka asks if they
staged all that to welcome him back? Pratt laughs and tells him the break room
is free if he wants to go through all his mail and the coffee is only about two
hours old. Luka tells him to come along and he will buy him a cup. Pratt tells
Skye he will be in the break room if she needs him. Skye approaches Frank and
hands him some money, She asks him to buy a couple dozen donuts for the
staff…her treat. Donuts? Frank is dumbfounded as she walks away. Sam asks him if
he is okay. He tells her that he thinks Skye is an angel sent to walk among
them. Hee.
Gates comes out of Tate’s room and approaches his dad who is
on the telephone. He tells him that Tate has just told him he wants to have the
stitches done with no pain meds. His dad is kind of proud. Tells him to do what
the kid says. Gates asks him if it’s okay that his kid is going to be in a lot
of pain? The dad asks if Gates has kids. Tony says no. he wants to know why he
feels like he can tell him how to raise his. Sew him up. Gates is bemused.
Cut to Pratt and Luka in the break room. Pratt wants to know
when Luka is coming back to work and he tells him next week. Pratt asks if there
is any chance that he would want to take over as chief again. Luka laughs. Pratt
tells him that Anspaugh made Skye the acting chief. Luka asks why not him? Pratt
scoffs. Says he is years away from that. He is thinking about looking around,
building up his resume. He asks for a letter of recommendation and Luka says of
course he will write one. But leave County? Luka says there is no better place
to learn if he wants to run an ER someday. Pratt says he feels invisible there.
Luka asks what he has been doing to get attention? He tells him to be proactive.
Think about what they always complain about and come up with a plan to fix it. A
nurse interrupts to tell Pratt the stats are ready on his pneumonia guy. Greg
stands and tells Luka that he will tell Abby that he is there…..he knows she
missed him….and he will think about what he said.
Cut to Mr. Murphy’s trauma room where Anspaugh is examining
his injured arm. He tells Mrs. Murphy that there has been significant nerve and
tissue damage and he doesn’t think it can be repaired. If they leave a nonviable
arm attached, it could kill him. She says she will sign the consent and her son
is upset. He says that’s not good enough. He says without his arm he will be
nothing. How can he work, drive, play pool with the guys? Anspaugh says there
are a lot of good prosthetics out there. The kid slams out of the trauma room.
Tony is walking in the hall talking on his cell phone to Sarah. He is astounded
to know that her friends no longer think his impressions are funny…and don’t
know who Elvis Presley is. He is fumbling with his card at the med lock up
security check and tells her to stop calling him. Sam is in there and asks if
there are problems with the Normandy invasion. He tells her that allies had it
easier with the Germans…and he is fumbling around looking for something. He
tells her they are going to keep him up all night telling them funny stories and
DJing and such. He asks her where they keep the TAC in there. He asks her to mix
3 ccs with some fent and load it into an atomizer for him. She asks what he is
up to and he tells her about Tate. Sam is apprehensive that he wants to give the
kid pain meds without permission from the dad but Tony says the dad is an
asshole and the kid needs the win. He tells her it’s a topical anesthesia with a
tiny whiff of fent….zero risk. She studies him for a second and then agrees.
Cut to Neela and Harold wheeling her patient from recovery.
She tells him she will tell his family that everything went well. The patient
grabs Harold’s arm and tells him that he remembers his Homecoming date too. Way
to go tiger, he says. Harold is crestfallen and Neela is jubilant. She holds up
a hand for a high five slap and Harold moves away. She is astounded. She tells
him they rocked in there. Harold tells her that his date left the dance with
someone else. Neela says that was awful. Harold tells her that he doesn’t blame
her. Ned Birnbaum is the president of the chess club. How can he compete with
that? Neela tells him not to let Lacey or any other girl have the power to make
him feel badly about himself. He did something well. Harold asks what good
success is when you have no one to share it with and walks away.
Cut to Tate’s trauma room. Sam and gates are ready to do the
stitches. Sam has the atomizer ready and Gates tells them it’s something to dry
Tate’s nose so it doesn’t mess up the field. Tate sniffs it in and Gates starts
suturing. He can’t feel it at all. Gates says he must have a high tolerance for
pain. Way to go, buddy, his dad says. Sam and Gates shake their head slightly.
Cut to Abby (finally) finishing up with a patient waiting for
a consult. She grins and moves forward as Luka approaches. “heard you had a
fight,” she says. He laughs and says it was more like breaking one up. She asks
if he brought Joe with him and Luka tells her that Joe is home helping Niko put
up their tree. Abby grins a little too widely and says that it’s November. Luka
tells her that Niko isn’t going to be there for the holidays and he wants to
celebrate with them. She slams the file into the chart rack and he rolls his
eyes a little. Asks if she doesn’t like his brother. Abby tells him that he is
great but did he really have to visit like…now? He was gone for a really long
time. He follows her as she walks through the ER and is saying that things have
been a little tense and maybe it’s because they haven’t had time alone. She
stops in front of the elevator and turns to him to ask if her really thinks it’s
wrong to want him to herself. Luka says it was tough on him too. She says that
from the stories Niko tells it sounds like it was a lot of fun back home. Fun?
She says yeah…because she was there alone…working long hours…taking care of Joe
and paying the bills…half the time she had no idea where he was or what he was
doing! The elevator door opens and Dawn and Grady are front and center. Luka and
Abby apologize and he says he was just leaving. Dawn comments that that was
awkward and says that Dr. Kovac is a great guy…really. Grady says he thought
he’d be taller.
Cut to the ambulance bay where Luka and Abby stride through
the doors and carry on their argument. Luka says his dad has multiple myeloma
and she is a doctor so she should know what that entails. Abby says she does…but
his being there didn’t change the diagnosis or the course of the disease. His
life is here. He asks if she thinks he enjoyed it and she says yes…at times. She
could hear it in his voice. He loves his father and he needed his help....could
he turn his back on that? She retorts that it is unfair and he asks if she
really wants to do this here? She says no…she has to go. They will talk later.
Luka retorts that he will send his brother to a hotel. Abby approaches the
ambulance where Skye is bagging the patient. The paramedic says it is a 20
something male…baseball bat versus head. Friends said he was just standing on a
stoop talking when a car pulled up and some guys jumped out and started whaling
away on him. The family was following the rig. Dolores come racing around the
corner into the bay calling Manny by name. Sam turns her head and says ‘OMG…it’s
her son” and races in after the gurney.
Skye, Morris, Sam and Abby are working on Manny. He is V tach
and shocks are not working. Dubenko comes in for consult and after hearing the
worst says there is nothing they can do for him. Sky calls Denko back and
quietly asks that they show the mother they did everything possible. He calls
for another mig of epi and Abby tells Sam to put in a central line. Sam looks
for a kit and Chuny tells her that someone was supposed to restock. Sam pushes
through the door to Mr. Murphy’s room and overhears a conversation between the
two men. Mr. Murphy said he was stupid to leave the cutter on….and he bypassed
the safety guard. His son said that it was the cleaning lady’s fault…everyone
said that…but he took care of it. Murphy says if it weren’t for the cleaning
lady he would be dead. He asks the kid what he did. Murphy Jr. is looking pretty
sick to his stomach right now. Sam finds her kit and goes back into Manny's
trauma room. She tells an aid quietly that she needs to talk to security right
away and to post a guard outside trauma one.
The team continues to work on Manny. Sam takes over for Abby
and glares through the glass at the distraught Murphys as she does futile
compressions on Manny. Chuny nods slightly at Skye and then the chief draws
Dolores to Manny’s side. She tells her that they have been working on her son
for almost an hour. Chuny translates this. Skye sass there has been too much
damage to his mind and body. His heart has stopped beating and his body has
stopped breathing. They are all still as she quietly begs them to continue and
then covers her face to cry. Her hands drop and she croons to her son as the
camera closes in on his bloodied head.
Cut to Sarah and her friends in the midst of a pajama party.
They are all talking about this boy and that boy and texting and clothes as Tony
enters with a pizza box. The talking stops and they scurry sit across from him.
He drops down and opens a pizza box. He asks how it’s going and they are quiet.
He settles down and wants to know what they want to do first. Watch videos? Want
him to grab his harmonica? They are all looking at him with a teensy bit of
disdain. Sarah takes him aside and asks for some privacy. He looks back at the
girls and then asks if he can at least have some pizza. She grins and says yeah.
He takes a slice of pizza and says that he is just gonna..…points upstairs and
leaves with a smile. The talking starts again.
Abby crosses in front of the hall and Neela and Harold walk
with her as they head for the elevator. Neela asks if she is off and Abby says
no…she is on till 10. Neela says she and Harold are on all night. Neela says
they heard Moretti is gone and wants to know the story…something about his kid?
Did she even know he had a kid? Abby shrugs and is noncommittal. She puts her
hand on the elevator door and asks Neela if it’s all right if she stops by the
apartment for some things she still has there. Neela says sure…there is some
stuff for her in the hall closet.
Cut to the break room and Sam opens her locker. She grimaces
and takes the exercise equipment out. Skye walks in and Sam tells her that
Dolores Salazar and her family just left. Hard case. Can’t stop thinking about
how hard she worked to have a god life here. Hey deserved better. Sam thanks
Skye for suggesting that she think about the transport position. She is going
for it. Skye says it’s always good to have aspirations and quotes George Eliot
and Sam says he was a writer. Skye says he was actually a she. Skye goes on
about her needing to use a pen name because the work of a man was taken more
seriously at that time. Like anything has changed, Sam scoffs. She asks how her
first day as chief went. Skye says if she is clear and strong she’s a bitch. If
she plays it loose and Socriatic, she is weak. Either way she is screwed. She
even bought donuts for everyone….donuts! Sam says maybe she should get advice
from Hilary Clinton. Skye says she is going to be strong when she needs to be
and nice when she wants to be. Chuny approaches to says they are taking the
Murphy kid and they watch as he is led out by the police. Skye asks Sam if she
knows where room 25-315 is. Sam doesn’t but Dubenko does and he is on his way
out.
Cut to a door opening and keys being dropped onto a small
table. We see a purse being dropped on a table and Abby takes a paper bag from
the purse and pulls out a glass full of ice and bottle of vodka. She opens the
bottle and pours herself a glass as the television comes on. She settles back on
the couch and takes a long drink from the glass.
Cut to another door opening and Skye and Dubenko entering a
small crowded office. Skye looks around says it’s the perks of being chief.
Dubenko tells her that he gets the feeling it’s not what she was wanting. She
tells him that it’s not but it’s going to work out. He tells her they should
celebrate. He makes a mean lasagna and could do it at her place…break in her new
kitchen. Skye turns to him and says that she likes him and gets the feeling that
he likes her. She wants to be honest and up front. He appreciates honesty. She
goes on about being fluid with her relationships. When she is with them, she is
with them. When she is not, she’s not. If he can handle a relationship with no
strings and sex with no commitments, then they’re cool. He is looking a little
freaked but says he’s not. He swallows hard and says what about drinks tomorrow
night? She takes off her stethoscope and asks why wait? She starts undressing
him and he tells her that yoga really relaxes him. She rips his shirt open and
says she isn’t into yoga. She leans into kiss him and it becomes furious. He
rips open her shirt and we see them in silhouette against the light from the
corridor. So this is your office, he says as he studies her breasts. Nice desk.
Cut to the Kovac apartment. Abby opens the door and makes her
way carefully down the steps to the coat rack. She seems slightly confused by
the blinking lights on the Christmas tree. She struggles with her scarf and
jacket. Luka is sitting on the couch in the dark and ask if she wants some help.
She is surprised that he is still up and he asks where she has been. It’s 2 am.
She can’t believe it’s that time. He stands up and moves into the light. He said
he was worried. He called the ER and they said she had left…early in fact. He
wants to know why she didn’t answer her cell phone. She is clearly tipsy and
ponders that. She says she doesn’t know and wants to know why he didn’t answer
his phone. He says she didn’t call him. She says not tonight….but when he was in
Croatia and Joe was hurt and she couldn’t find him. Why didn’t he answer his
cell phone? She heads for the kitchen and he asks what is wrong with her. She
says nothing….she had a long day and where’s Joe? Luka says Joe is fine. He’s
asleep. She is a little stressed and angry being put on the spot. She gestures
to the empty beer bottles on the counter and asks why he does that…what? Drink
in front of her? He never asked if she is okay with that and she…whoa, whoa….she
had a problem but she is better now. Well, it takes what it takes. Luka is
confused and asks what she means. She is quiet, arms folded defensively. He
turns away and says he doesn’t want to get into it right now. She is incensed
and says that it’s all about what he wants. Well, what about what she wants. He
promised and she believed him. He wants to know what she is talking about. She
said that he said let’s do this together and he said it in front of everyone….he
promised. He is quiet and says it’s late and they need to go to bed. She says
she is not tired and has some things she needs to talk to him about. They’re not
going to talk tomorrow, they are going to talk right now. “Hey!” he says
sharply. She stops and blinks and then looks up at him. “My father died,” he
says simply. They look at one another for a long moment and then he turns away
in resignation. He heads up the stairs as she stands still, letting his words
sink in to her vodka addled, befuddled brain.
Reviewed by Lynda Foote on December 02, 2007
LIVING UP TO YOUR FULL POTENTIAL-KARI MATCHETT ("24") GUEST
STARS – Kovac’s (Goran Visnjic) brother comes for a visit from Croatia causing
Abby (Maura Tierney) to feel crowded in her own home. Gates (John Stamos)
starts to feel the pressure of fatherhood when Sarah (Chloe Greenfield)
decides to have a sleepover with her friends. Meanwhile, Pratt is upset when a
new temporary ER chief is named.